Gas manufacture



June 9, 1931.

B. F. DE GRAW GAS MANUFACTURE Filed April 15, 1929 INVENTOR- Emir/7509670! Patented June 9, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BROWN 1', DE GRAW, or roar WAYNE, INDIANA, AssIGNon'ro "rim wns'rmm 'ees CONSTRUCTION 00., A conrona'rronor INDIAN c GAS MANUFACTURE Application filed April 15,

This invention relates to gas manufacture and particularly to charging machines for gas producers. a

With the ordinary bell type of charger a U slight amount of segregation may take place inside the bell before the bell opens. If any fine fuel is mixed in with fairly large lumps, the fine fuel can sift down toward the lower edge of the bell or cone. As the bell opens, the first fuel passing out is necessarily retarded-due to the narrowness of the partial opening and would'ordinarily be thefines if any should be present near the edge of the bell. When the bell is entirely open, the remaining fuel slides off the conical surface without being retarded by a narrow opening so that any fines which have sifted to the bottom of the bell chamber are dropped off the bell with slight velocity and fall near the center ofthe gas producer while the remainder. of c the charge is deposited away from the center. 1

When a mixture of coarse and fine fuel slides off the surface of the bell, a sorting out takes place on the way toithe top of the fuel bed for the fine pieces offuelare thev gases through which they pass while the larger pieces Wlll have sufficient momentum to be carried to a greater radial distance from the center of the furnace. 1 v

If the bell is small enough to depositan appreciable amount offuel at the exact cen ter of the producer, then it is likely that it will build up a mound of fuel near the center 35 of the producer. Should this occur, the larger pieces of fuel a center tothe lower edges of the top of the fuel bed.

Such segregation of the fuel results in the fire burning more freely at the edges'of the producer than at the center because of the larger spaces between the coarser pieces of fuel. Should even a, slight difference of this kind occur, the fuel is consumed more rapidly near the edges than near the, center and the outer edge of the top of the fuel bed sinks the more rapidly, thereby increasing the rolling of the larger pieces on thetop of'the fuel bed towards the edges ofthe producer,

checked by a will roll from the" high 7 1929. Serial No. 355,054.

thus further increasing the degree ofsegre gation. 1 A Attention is calledto thefact that most of the above-mentioned factors that; tend to produce a sorting out of the fuelare all cumulas tive as each tends to leave the fine fuel at the center}, and deposit the coarser fuels at. the

edgesof the fuel bed,

The charglngr machine of my invention consists of a rotatable hopper inthe top of trifugal force as it is fed into the producer.

More particularly, it'consists of a hopper revolved by amotor. {Iheiuel is projected radially from the open doors.

WVhile the rotatable hopper forming the 7 subject matter of this invention may have tendencies to segregate the fine from the coarse partlcles, not all of such tendencies are cumulatlve nor tend inthe same direction. i a

When a mixture of different-sized pieces are projected by centrifugal force, the larger pieces than the smaller pieces. On the other hand,

the bellmay be so accelerated'as to deposit M the bulk of the fuel towardsv the edges of the generator and then any rolling action of the pieces'from thehigher edges to 'the lower center would tend to segregate the larger pieces in the center. gas resistance tendsto segregate the smaller pieces towardthe center and if the rolling other. p a 7 y e M In the drawing, the s ngle figure is a vertical cross-sectional view of a portion of a are less affected by air or gasresistance 7 That is, ifxthe 1 v on the sloping surface tends to segregate'the larger pieces near the center,,then these two errors of operation tend to 'neutralize e'achproducer provided with charging machine of my invention. c

A rotatable charging. hopper 1 that is mounted in thetop of a gaslproducer 2 has flap yalves or doors 3 at its lower edge which are suspended by means of hinges 4. Vertical ribs 5 support a bottom 6 for the hopper 1 G0 the producer whichscatters the fuel bycenwhich rotates freely on bearings 7. 'Thebot- 7 tom 6 is conical whereby the downwardly in- A flange 8 at the upper edge of the hopper has bevel gear teeth that are engaged by a bevel pinion 9 mounted on a shaft 10 passing through a bearing 11 that serves as va stllfling lan s I ,A. cas n st achedts the p vo th senemwricomrletly sli liciindsf hs meshe nism just described to make the top of the generator gas tight. A sliding door .13 ad:

mits charges to the hopper 1 and a floor 14 is provided at a convenient-.h8i'g1l :l I-

When the door 13 is opened a'weighed amount o'ffuel that has previously been i placed on the surface of belt 15 is deposited 7 through funnel 16- intothe rotatable hopper.

' the. fuel may be admitted to the producer Between charging periodsa feed belt17 with the of a weighingmachine, indicated generally atlS, depositsthe exact weight of fuel a requiredfor the'next'ehar ge uponjthe weighing belt 15. r 1 V Theopei'atio'n of the device is as follows: The weighing belt 15 is suspended on knife edges 1 (not shown.) and moves forward very slowly while a charge of coal is being weighed outQ At this time, feed belt 17 deposits coal from'the weighing machine 18' upon belt1 5 until thescale 'beanis (not shown) attached to the knifeiedg-es on which belt 15 rests are moved wherenp on through appropriate automatic electridconnectionsthe movement of belt 17 is stopped and also the slow motion of belt1'5 issto'ppe d. I At the proper time to deposit the fuel in the rotatablefhopper 1,-.a motor (not shown) slides the door 18- out of the way and belt 15 in oves forward; depositing the entire charge of fue l in the hopper while the latter is at rest. feature is "desirable in order that -peri(idica llyin accordance with the charging schedule I e r e When itis time to. charge the contents of the Hopper 1 onto the fuel bed in the producer 2, the electric motor (not shown) that is coh ne cted to the shaftIO at'the upper edge o thehemr. i s a tsdh pp to revolve whereupon centrifugal 't'hedoors "ana hema; ist-hrown out of the totem. of the "hopper radially and scattered over theeunper surface of the fuel bed It will be noted that I have provided a to segregate or to accumulate faster in certainingthe fuel also prevent the escape of force opens charging device for gas producers that operates automatically to distribute 7 fuel charged therein in such manner as to neutralize the tendency of fuel of various sizes tainportionsof the fuel bedthan in other portions. 3 I

e Alsothe charging device operates to retain th fue t er in u til it i rel a e etdesirs times. The samemovable closures for re gaswhen. the hopper is being provided with a charge of fuel.

I claim as my invention: I 1. A charging device for gas producers comprising a rotatable hopperfor receiving- I fuel,- doors for said hopperi that are normally closed and means for'rotating said hopper to cause said doors to open and todistribute the fuel contents of said hopper; i 2. A charging device for gas producers comprising a rotatablehopper-in the upper 7 portion of a producer and having openings in the bottom portion thereof, doors for said openings normally closed byfgravityto retain the charge Wll1l1lI1 said hopper, and means forrotating said hopper to opensaid doorsby centrifugal force and to distribute thecharge substantially radially of said'hopper.

3. A charging device-for gas producers comprising a hopper for fuel having an'upper closure and a lower closure' foropening into a producer and normally-closed by grav ity and the pressure of gas within'said' produc'er, and means for rotating 'saidfhopper to open said lower closure by centrifujgal force to distribute-the fuelfcontents of said ho per; i

4, In a'gas producer, the combination'of a {515 hopper for receiving material for charging the same, mean'sj 'for rotating the hopper, and 7 doors at the lower' end-of the hopper" for res taining said material but adapted to be opened by centrifugalforcewhen' the hop.- per isrotated." V v s 5. In a gas producenthe combination of a charging hopper. projectingtthrough the top f the p du er into it int ri r, m nsat th top of th pp r forr t ng ths amer n in a n ma ly cl ed, c qs r j h bot of t. the h rn f r 'r v nt hs 0W Q g s into said hopper while the latter is at rest and for p nin to adm t' l to said Jp Q ue -Wh t hopn r t i f a 1 A v #2 g SP fQdilQ -Q mbinat On-Qf a har ng hopper proje i t t upp part'of'the p'roducerwand adapted to receive fue'ha ring'attached to the upper part of'the hopper having a bearing and gear-mechanisni for rotating the hopper, .afioorsupportplurality of idpors adaptedfto close openings I between the ribs when the hopper is atrest W3 and to open into said producer to discharge said fuel when the hopper is rotated.

7. In a gas producer, the combination of a rotatable charging hopper at the top thereof for receiving fuel for said producer and doors at the lower portion of the hopper that are normally closed but are adapted to be opened by centrifugal force to discharge said fuel While the hopper is rotating.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 6th day of April 1929.

BROWN F. DE GRAW. 

